Our Research

Social Work at the University of Edinburgh is one of the highest rated centres of research in the UK. The subject was rated as third in the UK for its quality and breadth of research, in the Research Excellence Framework 2014 (REF2014). In addition to its 3rd place ranking using the respected Research Fortnight "Power Index", the alternate Times Higher Education "research power" index ranks Social Work as 1st in the UK.

This UK-wide assessment of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) has also reported the following, excellent, assessment of Social Work research (together with research in the field of Social Policy) at Edinburgh:

81% has been identified as being as "world leading" or "internationally excellent".

56% of the wider societal and economic impacts derived from the research have been assessed as "outstanding".

100% of the research environment - the way a subject area fosters research and nurtures staff - has been judged to be "world-leading”.

Much of our research starts from the premise that social work can make a difference in the lives of individuals and communities. Social workers must have intellectual curiosity and a willingness to explore how things might be better for people who rely on services. As social work academics, we see our role as not only producing research and pursuing scholarship, but also encouraging the use of research in practice.

This University pays particular attention to knowledge exchange and the importance of research for policy making and practice development.

Although we conduct a large amount of our reseach in Scotland, reflecting our core interest in legislation, policy and practice here, we also have a commitment to research in the European and wider international arena. This wider approach is demonstrated by the research which is carried out by our PhD students.

In addition, academic researchers at times take on discrete projects which do not fit easily into the groupings above. To find out more about individuals' research activities, please see our academic staff profile pages.

Each year, there is a programme of research seminars at which researchers, academics and practitioners who are involved in research present their findings.